Table



June 23, 1936. N. M. HISER 2,045,467

TABLE v Filed Jan. 5, 1936 2 sheets-She et -1 ATTORNEYS I June 23, 1936. N. M. HISER 2,045,467

TABLE Filed Jan 3, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 n 'IIIIIIIIIIIIII/IELIA 'IA ii J1 J2 Illll IIIIII ATTORN EYS Patented June 23, 1936 [PATENT OFFICE TABLE Noble M. Hiser, Tucson, Ariz.. Application January a, 1936, Serial No. 57,437

This invention relates to tables, and its "general object is to provide a table having foldable legs mounted and connected for movement in unison to folded and unfolded positions, by the manna movement of any one leg.

A further object of the invention is to provide a table that includes foldable legs which are au-.

tomatically locked in open or unfolded position when moved accordingly, and rigidly held against casual or accidental movement, but can be easily and expeditiously released to be moved to folded position, with very little effort on the part of the user.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a table having foldable legs, that is strong and sturdy, simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and extremely eflicient in operation, use and service.

Thisinvention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings.

wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which: 4

Figure l is a perspective view illustrating a table constructed in accordance with the present invention. 4

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken approximately on line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken approximately on line 3-3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken approximately on line 4-4 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, and with the looking or leg securing means in operative or locked position.

Figure 5 is a similar view with the parts in normal or unlocked position.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the leg operating spider or cross arms and the locking disk therefor.

Figure '7 is a detail view of the locking disk actuating member.

Figure 8 is a similar view of the cam member. Referring to the drawings in detail, the reference numeral I indicates the top of my table which has secured to the outer edges thereof and depending therefrom a flange 2 the latter having slots 3 in the inner surface thereof, as best shown in Figure 2, for a purpose which will be presently described.

Arranged in the corners of the table top and depending from the under surface thereof are 5 leg brackets d which have pivotally secured thereto, the upper ends of the legs 5, the latter being tapered toward their free ends and movable to a folded position as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 and to an open or unfolded position as 10 shown in full lines.

Secured to the flange 2 and adjacent to each of the slots 3 are brackets 6 arranged in cooperating pairs with the bracket of each pair having fixed in the confronting faces thereof a pair of rods 1, that act as guides for a cross head member 8 which is slidably mounted on the rods and is provided with bores to receive the rods for that purpose, as will be apparent upon inspection of Figure 2.

Each leg is provided with a cross head member and a brace. a for each leg has one of its ends fixed to its leg and the opposite end to the cross head thereof, with the result it will be seen that when the legs are moved to folded or 5 unfolded positions, the cross heads are slidably mounted on the rods between the brackets thereof.

Secured centrally of the under surface of the table top I is a disk member l0 and fixed, to the member i0 is a like disk member I I, through the instrumentality of screw bolts having spacers l2 surrounding the same, and the screw bolts depend from the disk member I0 with the spacers disposed between the respective members l0 and I I, so that these members are arranged in superimposed relation with respect to each other, as

' clearly shown in Figures 4 and 5.

thereof is what. may be termed a spider H in that the member ll includes radiating arms I5 having slots l6 extending longitudinally of the I free ends thereof for the purpose of receiving pins I I that are secured to and rise from the cross head members 8, as best shown in Figure 2, consequently it will be seen that each of the legs are connected to each other, whereby 4 when one leg is moved, the others are moved in unison or simultaneously therewith.

Mounted for vertical movement on the spacers I2 is a disk locking plate l8 having a peripheral flange l9 rising therefrom, and the flange is engageable with the head thereof, and its other with the plate It. The spring is housed within a cylinder 22 having lugs 23 at the upper end thereof to be riveted or otherwise secured to the plate I8, as clearly shown in Figures 4 and 5, andsecured to the lower end of the cylinder 22 is a strip 24 in the form. of a block that extends an equal distance upon the opposite sides of the cylinder, for the purpose of engaging the cam faces 25 of the cam member 26 which includes apertured inwardly extending ears 2'! having secured thereto a cup-shaped member 28, through the medium of screw bolts that extend through the bottom of the cup-shaped member to be threadedly received in the apertured ears as clearly shown in Figure '7. The cam member is provided with an opening in its upper portion for the passage of the cylinder 22 therethrough, and due to the fact that the strip 24 contacts the cam faces 25, and the cam faces are formed on the lower end of the cam member, it will be obvious that the cam member and the cup-shaped member are carried by the strip which in turn is connected to the disk locking plate l8 by the cylinder 22.

In the operation of the legs of my table, assuming that the legs are in folded position as shown in dotted lines in Figure l, and the cam member 26 is in the position of Figure 4, with the spring 2| urging the flange l9 against the arms IS, in order to move and lock the legs to the unfolded, set up or full line position of Figure 1, any one of the legs is moved outwardly from its dotted line position, adjacent the flange 2, and such movement will cause the remaining legs to move accordingly and simultaneously, and the spider to rotate, for disposing the arms thereof in the path of and within the recesses 20 by the action of the spring 2|, with the result it will be seen that the legs are automatically locked into unfolded or set up position. When it is desired to fold the legs, the cup shape member 28 which acts as a handle is rotated, which moves the cam member 26 accordingly, and due to the fact the strip engages the cam face 25, and the cylinder 22 which has thestrip 24 secured thereto, is fixed to the locking plate l8, rotation of the cam member will draw the locking plate downwardly for disposing the recesses 20 of the flange l9 thereof away from the arms l5, thereby releasing the latter. Any one of the legs can 'then be moved to the dotted line position of Figure 1, and of course the remaining legs-are moved accordingly.

It will be apparent that the coil spring 2| urges the plate I8 upwardly and when the cam member is in certain positions, the spring is free to act against the plate to hold the recesses of the flange l9 against thearms l5, so that casual movement or displacement of the legs is impossible after they have been moved to set up position, and the spring likewise causes the upper edge of the flange l9 to bind against the arms l5 when the legs are in folded position to hold them accordingly.

While my leg folding structure can be used on any type of table, it will be noted from the drawing that I have illustrated its use with a 5 card table, consequently the dificulty experienced in folding and unfolding the legs of a card table will be entirely eliminated by the use of my structure.

It is thought from the foregoing description 10 that the advantages and novel features of my invention will be readily apparent.

I desire it to be understood that I may make changes in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A table comprising a top, a flange depending from the outer edges thereof and having slots 20 therein, means journaled to the under side of the top and including arms radiating therefrom with their free ends mounted in the slots to be guided thereby, brace strips having one of their ends pivotally secured to the legs and the opposite 25 ends pivotally connected to the free ends of the arms, spring pressed locking means engageable with the arms and including recesses receiving the arms to prevent movement of the latter to hold the legs in set upposition, and cam means 30 for the locking means to move the latter against the action of its spring for releasing the arms.

2. A table comprising a top, a flange depending from the outer edges of the top, guide means including pairs of brackets secured to the flange. 35 rods for each pair of brackets and bridging the same, cross heads slidably mounted on the rods for movement between companion brackets, means journaled to the under side of the top and including arms radiating therefrom and having their free ends slidably and pivotally connected to the cross heads, braces for the. legs and pivotallyconnected to the cross heads and legs respectively, and means engageablewith the arms for holding the legs in set up or folded positions.

3. A table comprising a top, foldable legs therefor, means journaled to the under side of the top and including radiating arms, means connecting the free ends of the arms with the legs for moving the latter in unison to set up or folded positions, a disk plate having recesses therein engageable with the arms for locking the legs in set up position, means normally urging the disk plate toward the arms and cam means for moving the plate away from the arms.

4. A table comprising a top, foldable legs therefor, superimposed plates secured to the under side of the top and held in spaced relation with respect to each other, bolt means extending centrally through the plates, means journaled on the bolt means and including radiating arms, guide means for the free ends of the arms, means connecting. the free ends of the arms to the legs for moving the latter in unison upon movement of any one leg, means mountedfor slidable movement between the plates and having recesses therein engageable with the arms to prevent movement of the journaled means for locking the legs inset up position, spring means for the recessed means to urge the latter toward the arms for automatic application therewith, and cam means including a handle for moving the recessed means away from the arms.

NOBLE M. HISER. Y6 

